Automatic hydraulic valve for water heating systems



Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC HYDRAULIC VALVE FOR WATER HEATING SYSTEMS James T. Barrow, New York, N. Y. Application August 23, 1935 Serial No. 37,445

'1 Claims. (oi. 236-1) My invention relates to automatic hydraulic valves for water heating systems and has particular reference to such valves as appliedto my water heating system disclosed in my United States Patent No. 1,958,736.

' In my hot water" system there are two pipes extending from a supplementary water heating element in the furnace of a boiler to a. double two-way valve (or valves). In one position this valve'connects these two pipes with a hot water tank and hot water piping in the house, in the other position the valve connects these pipes with the boiler. The first position is required when temperature of water in the tank falls below a certain desired limit, and the second position is used when temperature of the water has reached that limit.

The object of my present invention is to provide a valve and valve controlling mechanism which will automatically change the connections between the pipes as described above in accordance with the temperatureof the water in the tank.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hydraulic motor for operating the above described valve, the necessary power being supplied by the pressure of water in ordinary water .pipes in the house.

Another object of my invention is to provide magnets for operating auxiliary valves controlling the above hydraulic motor, these magnets I being in turn controlled by a suitable thermostatic device adapted to close the electric circuit for these magnets when temperature of W2.-

ter in the tank and house piping falls below a desired limit, there being several-such thermostatic devices on the market.

For practical purposes I have found that a convenient embodiment of my invention is repre-' sented by a cylindrical slide valve with two ports on one side for the pipes from the auxiliary water heating element, and four pipes on the other side, two from the boiler and two from the tank.

r I connect the sliding portion of this valve with a plunger of a hydraulic cylinder which is moved out placing the valve in the first position when water under pressure is admitted into the cylinder.

I also provide a yieldable resilient means for returning the valve into the second position.

Still another object of my invention is to'provide a locking means for holding the valve in the first position while water under pressure is drained out from the cylinder, the latter being view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

My valve consists of a cylindrical housing I closed with a plug 2 at the rear end and a wall 15 3 at the front end, this wall being also a back wall of a hydraulic cylinder 4 which may be of a larger diameter than the housing I of the valve.

-The valve has intake ports 5, 6, land 8, and

exhaust ports 9, Ill, It and I2. The ports 5 and 20 9, 6 and I0, land H, and 8 and I2, are in the same planes, and may be located apposite each otheras shown in the drawing. The ports 5 and 6 are connected together by a chamber 13 formed in a box It attached to the wall of the 25 valve housing. An intake pipe extends from the chamber l3 to one side of a water heating element 16 in the furnace of a boiler IT. A similar chamber I8 is formed in the other side of the box i4 and is connected by a pipe l9 with the 30 other side of-the heating element Hi. .The exhaust ports 9 and l I are connected by pipes 20 and 2! with the boiler l1, and the ports l0 and I2 are connected by pipes 22 and 23 witha hot water tank and extend further for supplying hot 35 water for household needs.

A cylindrical valve 24 is .slidably fitted in the housing land is provided with two grooves 25 and 26' adapted to connect together ports lying in the same plane. In the extreme front (right 40 as shown) position the groove 25 connects together the ports 6 and ill, and the groove 26 connects the ports 8 and I2, the other ports being closed. In the extreme rear (left) position the other two pairs of ports are connected together', as shown in Fig. 2. The valve 24 has a central longitudinal aperture or bore 27 threaded at the front end into which theend of a rod 28 is fitted. Angular holes 28' extend from the 5 bore 21 to the front end of the valve. The bore 27 and holes 28' serve to equalize the air pressure at both ends of the valve so as not to impede its movements. This arrangement is especially important if a certain amount of wa- 5 ter leaksfrom the pipes into the end spaces in of a thermostatic circuit closing device 55 con-.

- closes the valve 43, as shown in Fig. 1.

the housing.

The rod 28 has a shoulder 30 against which rests a washer 3| of a piston 32 made preferably of a cup-shaped piece of leather. Washers 33 and 34 rest against the other side of the leather. A tube or sleeve 35 rests with one end against the washer 34, the other end abutting a disc 36. A nut 31 on the end of the rod 28 clamps the disc, sleeve and washers 33 and 34, together with the leather 32 and washer 3| against the shoulder 30.

. A metal tubular cover 38 is fitted over the front end of the cylinder 4 and is provided with slots 39 and 40 for arms 4| and 42 extending from valves 43 and 44. The valve 43 is placed in an intake pipe 45 connected with the rear end of the cylinder 4, and the valve 44 is placed in an exhaust pipe 46 also connected with the rear end of the cylinder 4. The valves are made so that the valve 43 is closed when its arm 4| is turned to theright by the disc 36 in its extreme front position, and the valve 44 is opened by the disc 36 in its extreme front position (right as shown in Fig. 1). Washers 41 and 48 limit the movement of the sliding valve 24 and the piston 32. A compression spring 49 tends to move the valve 24 in its front position, hereinafter called first position, and a fluid under pressure, acting on the piston 32 against the pressure of the spring nected with the pipe 22 so as to be affected by the temperature of hot water circulating through this pipe. I

A spring 56 tends to close the valve 44. The pipe 45 is connected with a source of compressed fluid (not shown), and the pipe 46 is connected with a drain (not shown) for permitting the fluid from the cylinder 4 to escape.

The disc 36 has an opening 51 for a latch 58 pivotally supported at 59 on the front wall of the cover 38. A compression spring 60 tends to push the latchdown thereby releasing the edge of the disc 36 from engagement with the hooked end of the latch. A magnet 6| exerts a pull on an armature 62 on the latch thereby pulling it up against the tension of the spring 60. The magnet is connected with the switch 55. The latter is connected by leads 63 with a source of electric current (not shown). The thermostatic element of the switch 'has a handle 64 which can be manually set against any temperature upon reaching which by the water in the pipe 22 the switch opens the circuit for the magnet 53 through the leads 54 and for the magnet'Sl through its leads 65. The temperatures for convenience are indicated on a scale 66 of the device.

The operation of my device is as follows.

If the power line 63 is disconnected, the spring The piston 32 remains in its closed or rear position being held by the spring 49. The valve member 24 remains in its first position as shown in Fig. 2. The intake pipes l5 and I9, leading from the water heating element 6, remain connected to the first group of the exhaust pipes 26 and 2| extending to the boiler. The apparatus retains the same position if the switch 55 is connected '53 and GI.

' the upper edge of the opening 51.

with the electric current, but the temperature of the water in the pipe 22 equals or exceeds the temperature for which the index 64- is set.

The spring 66 presses the latch 58 down with its back side against the edge of the opening 51, so that the latch does not offer any resistance to the movement of the piston in either direction.

If temperature of water in the pipe 22-drops below that for which the index hand 64 is set, the switch 55 closes the circuit for the magnets M The plunger 5| becomes attracted by the magnet 53 and turns the valve 43 into open position as shown in Fig. 2. The magnet 6| pulls the armature 62 andwith it the latch 58 up, pressing its end tapering portion against The valve 44 remains closed. The valve 43 being now open, the compressed fluid will flow through the pipe 45 into the cylinder 4 forcing the p'iston'32 outward. This motion will continue until the valve member 24 comes to rest against the washer 41. In this'position the disc 36 will pass beyond the notch on the latch 58, so that the latch under the pull of the magnet 6| will engage the edge a escape through the pipe 46 into the drains. The

pipe 46 and its valve are of sufficient size to permit air to enter the cylinder in place of the escaped fluid. The apparatus will remain in this position, with the heating element l6 connected with the tank 29 through the pipes 5, 9, 22 and 23, until the water in the tank and pipe 22 is heated to the degree indicated on the switch 55.

As soon as the water in the tank and pipe 22 reaches the predetermined temperature for which the thermostatic device is set, the switch in it will disconnect the current from the magnets 53 and 6|. The spring accordingly will push the latch 58 down releasing the disc 36. The piston and the valve member 24 will be then free to move back into the first position, the cylinder being empty. Upon completion of this movement the tank and pipes 22 and 23 will become disconnected from the water heating element l6, and the latter will be connected to the boiler through the pipes 20 and 2|. The valves 43 and 44 will remain closed under action of the springs 50 and g 56. The system will remain in this position until temperature of water drops and the magnets 53 and 6| become energized.

It is understood that my apparatus can be used with any system in which pipe connections must be changed in accordance with the rise or fall of temperature at a point of its control.

It is also understood that the preferred embodiment of my invention as described can be modified without departing from the scope of my invention as recited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic hydraulic valve, the combination of a cylindrical housing provided with intake and exhaust ports, a set of intake pipes connected with said intake ports, two sets of exhaust pipes connected with respective exhaust ports, a valve member slidably fitted in said housintake pipes with the first set of said exhaust pipes and in the second position to connect said intake pipes with the second set of said exhaust pipes, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder operatively connected with said valvemember, intake and exhaust pipes connected with said cylinder, said intake cylinder pipe being adapted to deliver a' compressed fluid for moving said piston into the second position, a spring adapted to return said piston into the first position when there is no fluid in said cylinder, valves in said cylinder pipes, springs tending to close said valves, means to close said cylinder intake valve by said piston in its secondposition, means to open said cylinder exhaust valve by said piston in its second position, means to releasably lock said piston in the second position, an electromagnetic means .for rendering said locking means operative, an electromagnetic means for opening said cylinder intake valve against the tension of its spring, and means to control both of said electromagnetic means by the temperature of a fluid passing through said valve member.

2. In an automatic hydraulic valve, the combination of a cylindrical housing provided with intake and exhaust ports, a set of intake pipes connected with said intake ports, two sets of exin said cylinder pipes, said intake pipe being adapted to deliver compressed fluid into said cylinder thereby causing said piston with said.

valve member to move into said second position, a spring adapted to return said piston and said valve member into said first position, meansto close said cylinder intake valve and to open said cylinder exhaust valve by said piston in its second position, electromagnetic means for rendering said locking means operative, electromagnetic means for opening said cylinder intake valve when said piston is in its first position, and a thermostatic switch subjected to the temperature ofwater in said second set of pipes and connected with a source of electric current, said switch being adapted to energize said electro-.

magnetic means when the temperature of said water falls below a predeterminedlimit.

3.,.In an automatic hydraulic valve, the combination of a valve member having two operative positions, a hydraulic cylinder, a piston in said cylinder operatively connected with said valve member, intake and exhaust pipes for a compressed fluid connected with said cylinder, said piston when moved by said compressed fluid being adapted to place said valve in its second po- 'inder valves, electromagnetic means for opening said intake valve against the tension of its spring, means to releasably lock said piston in its second position, an electromagnetic means for rendering said locking means operative, and means to control both of said electromagnetic means by the temperature of a fluid passing through said valve member.

4. In an automatic hydraulic valve, the combination of a valve member having two operative positions, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder operatively connected with said valve member, intake and exhaust pipes connected with said cylinder, said intake pipe being adapted to deliver a compressed fluid into said cylinder thereby moving said piston with said valve into a second position, valves on said pipes, springs tending to close said valves, means to close said intake valve and to open said exhaust valve by said piston in its second position, a latch adapted to lock said piston in said second position, a spring adapted to render said latch inoperative, an electromagnetic means for rendering said latch operative againstthe tension of its spring, an electromagnetic means adapted to open said cylinder intake valve against the tension of its spring and when not held by said piston, means to return said piston into the first position, and means to control both of said electromagnetic means by the temperature of a fluid controlled by said valve member.

5. In an automatic hydraulic valve, the combination" of a valve member having two operative positions, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder operativelyconnected with said valve member, intake and exhaust pipes connected with said cylinder, said intake pipe being adapted to deliver a fluid under compression into said cylinder thereby moving said piston into a second position of said valve member, valves in said pipes, springs tending to keep said valves closed, arms on said cylinder valves, an extension on said piston engaged by said arms, said extension being adapted to close said intake valve and to open said exhaust valve when said piston is in the second position, means to releasably lock said extension with said piston in the second position, an electromagnetic means for rendering said locking means operative, an electromagnetic means for opening said intake valve when said piston is in the first position, a yieldable means for returning said piston into the first position when there is no fluid in said cylinder, and

means to control both of saidelectromagnetic' means by the temperature of a fluid controlled by said valve member.

6. In an automatic hydraulic valve, the combination of a valve member having two operative positions, a hydraulic motor operatively connected with said valve and having two operative positions corresponding to said valve positions, intake and exhaust pipes connected with said motor, said intake pipe being adapted to deliver compressed fluid to said motor for moving it into the second position, valves in said pipes, springs adapted to close saidvalves, said intake valve being adapted to be closed and said exhaust valve being adapted to be opened by said motor in its second position, means to releasably lock said motor in the second position, an electromagnetic means to render said locking means operative, means to render said locking means inoperative when said electromagnetic means is inoperative, a yieldable means to return said motor into the first position, an electromagnetic means to open said intake valve, and a thermostatic switch adapted to control said electromagnetic means by the temperature of a fluid passing through said valve member.

intake valve being adapted to be closed and said exhaust valve being adapted to be opened by the motor in its second position, electromagnetic means controlling the opening of said intake pipe valve, means to open said exhaust valve by the motor in its second position, a thermostatic switch for said electromagnetic means adapted to be controlled by the temperature of a fluid passing through said valve member, and means for retrieving the motor into the first position.

JANIES T. BARR-OW. 

